After this lesson you'll know
- The 7 core mechanics that power almost every game
- How to choose the right mechanic for your game idea
- How to prompt AI for specific mechanic implementations
- Why "game feel" matters more than graphics
Every game is built from the same LEGO bricks.
From Tetris to Elden Ring, every game combines a handful of core mechanics. Learn these and you can design anything.
1. Movement: How the player or objects travel through space. Platformer jumping, top-down walking, or physics-based rolling.
2. Collection: Gathering items, coins, points, or resources. The dopamine hit of picking things up never gets old.
3. Collision: What happens when things touch. Enemies damage you, walls stop you, power-ups boost you.
4. Timing: Rhythm games, quick-time events, countdown pressure. Time creates tension.
The mechanics that add depth.
5. Progression: Leveling up, unlocking abilities, growing stronger. This is why people play for 200 hours.
6. Strategy: Resource management, building, planning ahead. Think tower defense or city builders.
7. Randomness: Procedural generation, loot drops, shuffled decks. Randomness creates replayability because no two sessions are identical.
When you brainstorm your game, pick your primary mechanic first. Then ask: what's the second mechanic that makes this interesting?
The invisible thing that makes games addictive.
Game feel is what separates a game that technically works from one people can't put down. It's the screen shake when you land a hit. The slight delay before a jump. The satisfying "pop" when you collect a coin.
Here's how to prompt AI for game feel:
"Add screen shake (3px, 100ms) when the player collides with an enemy. Add a scale-up animation (1.2x over 50ms, then back to 1x) when collecting coins. Add a 0.1s jump buffer so pressing jump slightly before landing still works."
These tiny details are the difference between "meh" and "I can't stop playing." Always add game feel after your core mechanic works.
Tell AI exactly what you want.
Generic prompts give generic games. Use mechanic-specific language:
Say: "Add 2D platformer movement with gravity (800px/s), jump velocity (-400px/s), and air control at 60% of ground speed. Include coyote time (100ms grace period after leaving a platform)."
The more precise your mechanic description, the better AI implements it. Use numbers. Specify speeds, durations, and percentages. Think like a game designer, not a player.
Lock it in.
Quiz
1Which mechanic combination powers Vampire Survivors?
2What is game feel?